Socially distanced unfurling of the IBA flag took place this week. It is great that we will start to get back to some bowling normality this year. Please see a message from our President, Dan Dempsey below:

Dear Fellow Bowlers

In 2020 & 2021 all of us without exception experienced a total upheaval of our day to day lifestyles and it brings home to us that nothing in this world can be taken for granted.

Thanks to the excellent work done by the various sectors in our society, most of us got through these unprecedented times albeit not the way we would have wanted. However, we must never forget those families who lost a loved one remembering that they were unable to go through the normal grieving period and get the comfort and support that their families neighbours and community were unable to give them due to restrictions imposed due to the covid pandemic.

Excellent work has been achieved by the medical research teams around the world in finding a vaccine to fight covid 19 and our medical teams are doing a great job in getting all of us vaccinated. Hopefully this vaccine will give us the confidence to return to some type of normality in our lives.

Over the past few months our bowling clubs and associations have been planning to get back to playing bowls while adhering to the various restrictions necessary to ensure our safety and competitive bowls albeit with restrictions will return to our clubs this season slightly later than normal.

There is very little competitive bowling at International level this year but it gives our players at this level the opportunity to prepare for the Commonwealth games and other international events in 2022.

I look forward to working with the IBA officers and committees in getting bowls up and running again and hope to visit some clubs as restrictions are relaxed.

I wish all clubs enjoyable bowling and hope to see new members take up the game of bowls.

Dan Dempsey

President